A GLIMMER WITHIN A TRIAL

A/n Okay, I promised to get the next part out sometime during the weekend. I can't promise when the next part will be up because I'm going to be awfully busy with school since we only have three weeks left. So, please bear with me until then. Thanks to all my reviewers, you are all great and I hope you know how much I appreciate you all!!

A GLIMMER WITHIN A TRIAL

PART 3

They didn't know at the time how hard it would be to find a way to capture Pettigrew. After weeks of looking through the library for all loopholes possible to get around Voldemort, they couldn't find anything. Ginny felt herself slowly sink back into her old rut. The one thing she could look forward too was the winter holidays, when she and her friends were going to stay at Kimberly's aunt Liberty's house.

"Guess what," Kimberly said as Ginny was walking to Transfiguration one afternoon. "Professor McGonagall said I may get to go to Wilders for the exchange program."

"You're not going, are you?"

"Well, I really want to go, but I told her I needed time to think it over."

"Kimberly, I have something to tell you, but please promise you won't tell Harry."

"What is the matter Ginny?"

"McGonagall wants me to go to Beauxbatons."

"That's great Ginny!" Catching the look on Ginny's face, she stopped herself. "That is great right?"

"I don't want to go, but then, what if I'm missing the experience of a lifetime."

"Well, you're right, you could be missing a great experience…but Ginny, if your heart's not in it, maybe it is not meant for you to go."

"Thanks Kimberly, I just wanted to be sure I was making the right decision…and, I want you to know, if you want to go to Wilders, I'm behind you all the way. But, I'll really miss you."

"I'll miss you too, and I'll miss Neville," she finished as Ginny arrived in the classroom. Kimberly continued down the hall to get to her next class.

Ginny saw the rest of the Gryffindors file in, along with the Hufflepuffs. She saw Bridgett, the Hufflepuff girl Ron told her to stay away from. Bridgett is a neighbor of the Weasley's, and Ginny used to be good friends with her, until they reached the age of ten. That is when Bridgett's secrete came out, and when Mrs. Weasley banned her children from playing with her. Ginny wasn't scared of Bridgett though; she felt a lot of sympathy towards her. Bridgett was always alone, and she seemed really unhappy.

"Today we are going to practice turning a rock into food. This is very useful when you are stranded somewhere without anything to eat. The spell is very difficult, so I am going to divide you into pairs so you can help one another."

Ginny looked around to see most of the students already paired off. She noticed Bridgett didn't have a partner yet, so she motioned her over.

"Hi Bridgett," Ginny said as she sat down by her.

"Er, hi Ginny." Ginny hadn't talked to her in years, but she figured now was as good of time as any to start. "Er, Ginny, are you comfortable? I mean, about pairing up with me?"

"Of course I am, I'm sorry I always avoid you Bridgett, but I'm not scared of you."

"You're not? Thanks Ginny, it seems that whenever someone learns about my little secrete, they do their best to avoid me…and I know your brothers hate me."

"They don't hate you, they just don't know you."

"Come off it Ginny. I know you all hate me, and I can't blame you. I would probably hate me to if I were in your shoes. Well, maybe not hate, but I would certainly not want to be around me."

"I don't hate you Bridgett. I know you're not evil. You are the same girl that used to come to our house everyday and play with my brothers and I. My parents used to love you, that is, until they found out…"

"See, what did I tell you? They hate me!"

"No, my parents have misinterpreted you, but they don't hate you. Not as a person anyway."

"Well maybe that's it…I'm not exactly a person," Bridgett said, lowering her voice.

"Half of you is. (A/n does that sentence make sense?) And I think that half is strong enough to make you good, not evil. My family doesn't hate you, they are scared of you. I'm not."

They continued through the class, unsuccessful at turning the rocks to anything besides lima beans. Finally, the class was over, and it was time for Ginny to meet the others in Dumbledore's office.

"Ginny." Ginny turned to see Kimberly walking down the hall, calling out to her. She slowed down her pace to let Kimberly catch up her. "It's snowing outside. Do you want to start a snowball fight with the younger kids," she said with an evil glint in her eye.

"I would love to, but I can't right now, sorry Kimberly."

"Oh, that's okay," she replied, looking slightly disappointed. "See you later Ginny."

"Bye," Ginny said, walking towards Dumbledore's office. She saw Kimberly depart to the other side of the hall. She felt slightly guilty for not telling Kimberly any of this, epically since it involves her aunt. She approached Dumbledore's door, and after she recited the password, she proceeded up the stairs. She was so lost in thought about the exchange program, the trial, and Bridgett's secrete, that she forgot to close the door behind her.

She noted that she was the last one there, as usual. They were discussing an idea of conning Wormtail into thinking Voldemort wanted to meet him in Hogsmeade. The idea was turning out to be not a very successful one. They were sure Wormtail would not leave Voldemort's side, unless the Dark Lord told him to himself.

"There has to be something," Hermione said.

"But we searched all the books at the library," Ron told her.

"I have a small library at home. You can help me search through them when you stay at my house," Liberty said.

"You have a library," Hermione questioned, eyes lighting up.

"Well, it's nothing big, but we may be able to find something…"

"I doubt you'll find anything in her library beings as you can't find anything in the Hogwarts library," Sirius interrupted.

"But we could try," Liberty stated.

"Just enjoy your holidays kids, you don't have to waste all your time helping me," Sirius said.

"Maybe they want to help you Padfoot," Liberty countered.

"Come on guys, will you just stop it," Shelby said, breaking in between them. "Just forget about whatever happened between you two in the past, and concentrate on the present.

Ginny didn't think either one of them looked too happy, but they reluctantly agreed. She was bursting to know what happened between Sirius and Liberty. Neither one of them looked to keen at answering that question, but she figured she could get it out of them sometime or another.

"Speaking of vacations Sirius," Dumbledore was saying, "I believe you should go to Liberty's and get a little vacation yourself. All of this worrying is not getting you anywhere."

"Sorry, but I have other plans for Christmas."

"Oh for Christ's sake, you do not Sirius. What kind of plans would an escaped convict have for Christmas," Liberty exclaimed.

"Like I would tell you."

"Come on Sirius," Harry chimed in. "We could actually have Christmas together."

"Yeah, and me and Remus are coming up on Christmas Eve," Shelby said. "Maybe Severus could come too, and then we could all look through Liberty's library together."

"Well, I suppose I can come up Christmas Eve. So I can be with my Godchild on Christmas, and so we can research the library."

"Well, Severus is invited, he could be of some help encoding potions in the books. I don't know about Sirius though," Liberty teased.

Sirius didn't take her teasing very lightly. "I don't really want to see you on Christmas either. It would ruin the whole holiday for me, I'm just going for Harry," he shouted.

Liberty reached her hand up to slap Sirius in the face, but he caught it. "Don't you dare," he yelled.

Suddenly Kimberly's voice rang out through the room. "No! It's Sirius Black, and he's going to kill my aunt."

A/n Well, I'll try to get more out by next weekend, but no promises. I just love the new color in ff.n (Orange is my fav color!!)!! To bad it takes forever to get into my author place though! I may get the next part of Mixed Emotions up on Sunday, provided I get it done.

Disclaimer I don't own anything.